Fairy Tail: I Don't Want to Be the Guild Master-Chapter 177: A Scarf

Rhodes, who had once sworn never to get drunk again, woke up with a hangover.

When he opened his eyes, sunlight was already spilling into the room. He was wrapped in a blanket, and someone had left a kettle and a cup of warm water beside him.

Turning his head, he saw Erza and Mira crouched near a sleeping Gray, busily drawing on his face with enthusiastic smiles.

Several others nearby had already fallen victim to their artistic endeavors.

"Oh? You're up already, Rhodes? Very good." Erza gave him an approving nod that left him slightly confused.

Mira giggled behind her hand when she noticed him stirring. She walked over with gentle steps and poured him a cup of hot water.

"Thanks," Rhodes said, sipping slowly. The warmth helped clear his foggy head.

Ah... So that's what Erza meant.

Apparently, she still believed that doodling on people's faces after a guild party was some sort of test to see if you could remain vigilant, even while passed out drunk.

"How naive can she be?" Rhodes tried to communicate with Mira using a pointed glare, silently questioning her judgment.

But Mira didn't respond—at least not with words. She simply kept staring at him, her lips twitching as she tried to suppress a laugh.

Rhodes suddenly felt uneasy. "I'm going to the bathroom."

When he returned, his face was full of betrayal. His eyes locked onto Mira with righteous indignation.

He had taken one look in the mirror and instantly recognized it.

It was Mira's work, no doubt about it. While Erza's drawings were just as abstract, they belonged to a different school of thought. Mira's unique brand of chaos was unmistakable.

Rhodes was certain: his face had been used as Mira's personal canvas.

"What happened to the trust between us?" he asked, glaring.

Mira brought her hands together in a mock-apology and tilted her head with a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'm sorry," she said sweetly, "but Erza's idea was just too fun to resist, and you looked so cute while you were sleeping."

Cute?

Rhodes struggled to keep a straight face.

"Actually," he said, adopting a serious tone, "there's a custom in my hometown. When a girl apologizes, she's supposed to braid her hair in a style she rarely uses, and it's even better if she wears the hair tie she got a few days ago."

Mira raised a brow, clearly seeing through him. Without missing a beat, she pulled something from beneath the counter and said, feigning conflict, "But I was planning to use this moment to give you a gift. Now what should I do?"

Rhodes blinked.

"Thank you!" he replied instantly. Hesitating would be a crime at this point. He reached out and accepted the gift without another word.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freewebnσvel.cøm.

It was a blue and white scarf. The yarn was soft and warm, and by the texture and slight unevenness in the pattern, he could tell it was handmade.

He glanced at Mira for confirmation.

"I'm not that skilled at knitting," she admitted shyly, "so there might be a few spots that didn't come out perfect."

Rhodes shook his head, already wrapping the scarf around his neck. "It's perfect. Every stitch is just right."

He paused, his heart pounding a little faster as he opened his mouth again. "Actually—"

Mira responded immediately. "Don't tell me, in your hometown, girls are also supposed to tie the scarf themselves when they gift it?"

"How could that be," Rhodes denied it flatly, knowing full well he'd been caught. In a last-ditch effort, he added another excuse even more ridiculous than the first. "Actually, I've never worn a scarf before, so I don't know how to tie it."

Mira gave him a long, skeptical look, her eyes locked onto his.

Rhodes began to fidget under the scrutiny, eventually turning his gaze up to the ceiling in a desperate attempt to escape.

Just when he thought he was about to crack, Mira let out a quiet laugh and said with a teasing smile, "Well, with your head raised that high, I can't exactly help you, can I?"

Rhodes looked back down at her in surprise, heart skipping a beat. He blinked, made sure she was serious, then quickly sat down.

Mira stepped closer, unwrapped the scarf gently, folded it in half, then looped the ends through the folded section and pulled it snug around his neck. "There," she said softly. "Like that."

She stepped back a bit to get a better look, tilted her head in thought, then returned. "But with what you're wearing today, this style might be better."

Rhodes sat quietly, letting her adjust the scarf as she pleased. But deep down, he had the overwhelming urge to pull her into a hug.

He restrained himself. Just a little longer. Wait for the right moment. Be patient. Try harder.

"Okay," Mira finally said, examining her handiwork with satisfaction. "I don't mean to brag, but, it really suits you."

"Yeah." Rhodes reached up and ran his fingers along the scarf. "It's warm."

Warm in every way.

"Well then, I should probably get to work."

"I'll help."

"Go help Erza." Mira smiled and gave him a little shove on the back, pushing him away. "Come back later."

"Oh..." Rhodes blinked in confusion, not entirely sure what had just happened. Still, he followed her request without argument.

Is drawing faces on people more important than letting me help you? he wondered, sighing internally.

Back at the counter, Mira touched her cheek lightly, hiding the faint blush spreading across her face as she bent down to retrieve the account ledger.

She needed to calm down too.

It was so strange.

Last time, when they went to the capital together, she helped him straighten his clothes and fix his tie—yet she didn't feel anything at all.

But this time... it felt completely different.

—

Thanks to Erza's antics, the guild was thrown into chaos once again after everyone woke up.

The root of the mischief was Erza, with Rhodes and Mira as accomplices. Not that it needed to be said.

Either way, the graffiti spree had clearly been orchestrated by Erza.

After the storm came the "post-battle cleanup," and once again, Erza was promoted to acting contractor for the day.

If Rhodes didn't already know how Erza operated, he might've suspected she stirred up the trouble just to get out of doing real work.

—

Today was January 1st—the first day of the year X784.

Some guild members wanted to squeeze in a few more days of rest, while others, a little short on funds, headed out to work right after lunch.

Rhodes belonged to the former category. He was hoping to take it easy.

But that afternoon, a postman arrived at the guild with a delivery, and since Rhodes happened to be near the door, he took it.

"Fairy Tail. For Miss Mirajane Strauss."

He walked it over and handed it to Mira.

"Looks like a magazine," she said, not glancing up from the registry book. "Can you open it for me?"

"Sure," Rhodes replied. Who didn't like opening packages? "Is Sorcerer Weekly normally this thick?"

Mira paused to think. "Well, it's New Year's Day, and it's also Wednesday. So aside from the usual issue, there's probably a special supplement inside too."

Rhodes opened the package and, just as she guessed, found two magazines inside—one regular weekly issue and one New Year's special edition.

"Huh, kind of weird they didn't bundle them together," he murmured, flipping through the pages.

As he turned one over, a letter fell out.

"There's a note inside."

Mira looked up and picked up the envelope. "Probably something from the editor. Maybe they're asking if I'd write something for them?"

She hadn't done a photo shoot in a while. But after winning the prize money from the Harvest Festival beauty contest, the Strauss household wasn't exactly hurting for cash.

Unfolding the letter, Mira skimmed it for a moment, then said calmly,

"Heart Kreuz is partnering with Sorcerer Weekly. They want me to model their latest fashion line and appear on the cover of the next issue."

"Heart Kreuz... that's a famous brand, right?" Rhodes asked, recognizing the name. "Why not advertise it in the New Year special?"

"Probably still finalizing other contracts," Mira replied. "The payment is pretty generous, though. It's Heart Kreuz, after all."

"Are you thinking of doing it?" Rhodes asked.

Mira tapped her finger against her chin, then looked at him with a smile. "I don't mind. What do you think?"

"Me?" Rhodes blinked, surprised she'd ask for his opinion. He hesitated for a second, then gave her a warm smile. "It's a great opportunity to work with such a big brand. If you're interested, I say go for it. I'll support you."

...

$tonks 💎💎💎